How to turn down social invites without being rude during the ongoing lockdown

As India is just about to enter the lockdown 4.0 stage, we are expecting to see some relaxations on the lockdown rules. With the relaxations on the rules, it won’t be too hard to spot people coming up with plans to make up for the missed celebrations. However, the lockdown will still count any kind of gathering as illegal. So, if you have been called for a social event, you must decline it for your health safety. If you’re afraid that turning down such social invite might make you come out rude, here how to say no to them.

Begin by turning them down on the phone. While meeting anyone in person is a strict no-no during the pandemic, probably rejecting over text is too naïve and irresponsible. Try phone calling the host or maybe a voice-only call to spare yourself from seeing their reaction due to the rejection.

Tell them how sad you’re for not being able to attend the event and also explain why the situation demands this decision for the best. Give them reason and justify why it matters during this uncertain time. Make sure you do add that it’s for the safety of your health and others in the event. If the host still fails to understand or forcefully tries to convince you, be ready to not budge from your decision because if they don’t understand, it’s not your headache.

Understand, no matter how private you might think an event can be, a gathering might not only flout lockdown rules but also cost you your life. You can always book another date when things get back to normal to celebrate your survival through the difficult times. Till then, you can send them a gift during the lockdown to show them how much you care for their new milestone.

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